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Sony Is Adaptating ‘My Love From the Star’ For U.S. Audiences

So I’ve been a huge fan of Korean dramas for a long time, and I especially enjoyed the fantasy-romance series My Love From the Star (alternatively titled You Who Came From The Stars or My Love From Another Star) starring Gianna Jun and Kim Soo Hyun. (You can watch it on Hulu or Viki right now.)

Some backstory: Kim Soo Hyun plays an alien with superhuman abilities who’s been stranded on Earth for hundreds of years and ends up falling in love with an actress named Cheon Song Yi (Gianna Jun) despite his pessimistic outlook on humanity. The drama has the right blend of romance, fantasy, comedy, family drama, and suspense. Both leads are terrific, as well. Without them, I don’t think My Love From the Star would have been such a huge international hit; it spawned a chicken and beer craze over in China.

Now My Love From the Star is being remade for American audiences by Sony Pictures, to be aired on ABC. Part of me is skeptical but, considering the people behind the project, I’m interested to see if they can pull it off. The original scriptwriter Park Ji Eun and the CEO of the drama’s production company – HB Entertainment – will be executive producers. Elizabeth Craft and Sarah Fain, who previously worked on Angel and Dollhouse, will write the script.

While the original ran for 21 episodes, the remake will be a multi-season series. Cheon Song Yi’s career in the U.S. version will be different. Renamed “Lark” (that’s not a typo), she’ll be a world famous pop star, instead.

Hollywood Reporter states, “Disillusioned by the pettiness of human nature, and a resident of Earth for the past several hundred years, James has a centuries-old rule that he will never use his abilities to intervene in the lives of the people around him. But when he gets a premonition that the infuriatingly self-centered but compelling Lark is going to be murdered, James finds himself drawn into her chaotic life and falling deeply in love — just as he finally has the chance to return to his home in the stars.”

It’s difficult to imagine anyone besides Gianna Jun playing Cheon Song Yi. She nailed that role with just the right amount of sass, vulnerability, and comedic timing. Not to mention that most of the appeal of the drama was the two leads and their chemistry; the plot itself was a bit weak. Needless to say, it doesn’t bode well for the remake.

The pilot script is currently in development with plans to film later this year, but there is no commitment to air. There’s a chance My Love may not even see the light of day.

But the Korean version does exist! And I highly encourage you to watch it. Just look at this fabulous gif. How can you not be intrigued?